RIYADH: Gold prices inched higher on Tuesday as risk appetite weakened ahead of US inflation data that could support the Federal Reserve’s aggressive policy stance to contain rising pricing pressures. Spot gold was up 0.3 percent at $1,958.61 per ounce, as of 0407 GMT, after hitting its highest in nearly a month on Monday. US gold futures rose 0.8 percent at $1,962.90. Palladium, silver up Auto-catalyst metal palladium gained 1 percent at $2,457.49, after hitting its highest since March 24 at $2,550.58 on Monday following a sale block by London markets. Among other precious metals, spot silver rose 0.4 percent to $25.18 per ounce and platinum was up 0.5 percent at $981.56. Grains firm US grains futures rose on Tuesday, with wheat climbing to its strongest level in more than two weeks and corn near a five-week high on persistent concerns over the Russia-Ukraine conflict that continues to disrupt Black Sea exports. As Black Sea shipments from major wheat exporters Ukraine and Russia remained hampered, further tightening global supplies, the spotlight now is on winter wheat production in the US Plains, where farmers face risks from drought. The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board of Trade was up 1.8 percent at $11.08-1/2 a bushel, as of 0408 GMT, shortly after touching $11.09-1/2, its highest since March 24. The CBOT corn contract gained 0.9 percent at $7.71-1/4 a bushel, hovering near a five-week high of $7.78 scaled in the previous session. CBOT soybeans climbed 0.6 percent to $16.65-1/2 a bushel, below a two-week high of nearly $17 hit in the previous session. Aluminum sinks Shanghai aluminium prices fell for a sixth straight session on Tuesday to their lowest in more than three months, as COVID-19 curbs in top consumer China and bets over aggressive policy tightening fanned growth and demand concerns. The most-traded May aluminium contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange SAFcv1 was down 1.4 percent at $3,300.84 a ton by noon break, after falling to its lowest since Jan. 6 at $3,233.37. Three-month aluminium on the London Metal Exchange was up 0.5 percent at $3,265 a ton as of 0430 GMT. (With inputs from Reuters)